'Chelsea cannot afford to let him leave' - Goal's World Player of the Week Frank Lampard

When Eden Hazard laid the ball off to Frank Lampard on the edge of the box, the television match commentator could not help but get excited: "Is this the moment?" Of course it was. We'd seen it so many times before: Lampard arriving in the right place, at the right time, before thumping the ball home. This strike was particularly special, though, because not only did it draw Chelsea level in a vital Premier League meeting with Aston Villa, it also saw Lampard equal Bobby Tambling's landmark tally of 202 goals for the Blues.

Just 10 minutes later, the Romford native took outright possession of the longstanding record. Once again, the goal was a testament to Lampard's footballing intelligence and remarkable sense of timing, the 34-year-old losing Fabian Delph with his clever movement before darting towards the six-yard box to tap home another pass from Hazard and decide the game at Villa Park 2-1 in the visitors' favour.

If this is to be Lampard's final season in a Chelsea shirt, he has bowed out on a deserving high, effectively sealing Champions League football for the club he has served so magnificently for the past 12 seasons, as well as reaching a goalscoring milestone that would have been incredible for a forward, let alone a midfielder. Lampard has, in short, finished in fine style. Just as he has always done.

Consequently, we felt that in spite of stiff competition from a couple of other men who have achieved immortality weekend, most notably Ben Watson of Wigan and Porto teenager Kelvin, nobody is more deserving of our World Player of the Week than a true modern-day legend, as Goal's Chris Davie underlines.

"If Chelsea had any doubts over handing Frank Lampard a contract extension, by now they should have vanished completely," he enthuses. "As it stands, the Blues could still lose their iconic midfielder at the end of the season if the right offer comes in, and it's almost a certainty that his absence would be keenly felt at Stamford Bridge next term.

"Having broken Tambling's record on Saturday with a double against Villa, Lampard pushed his Premier League tally to 15 for the season. Rafa Benitez's side have heavily relied on the England international to edge them over the line in the race for a Champions League place, and for the club to progress next season, they will need to keep their reliable goal source.

"Wealthy as they are, Chelsea cannot afford to let Lampard leave."

Congratulations to Frank Lampard, Goal's 209th World Player of the Week winner!

The Shortlist

Kelvin - Porto

@Portu_Goal: "What a goal! What a bloody game football is! Kelvin the kid has done it for Porto!"

Goal.com's Rupert Fryer: "Wrote himself into Porto folklore with a late winner in what was a title-decider against Benfica."